


let the whole world know

by Redburn



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Fluff, Getting Together, M/M, Mild Angst, Pining, Soulmate-Identifying Marks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-31
Updated: 2017-01-31
Packaged: 2018-09-21 03:38:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,174
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9529979
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Redburn/pseuds/Redburn
Summary: Your soulmates first words said to you are inked on your wrist at birth.Except now Keith decided he wasn't going to wait for his soulmate to come along, instead he was more keen on asking out the cute barista who worked near their campus.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [cristina_lore](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cristina_lore/gifts).



> phew omg I feel like I've been gone for super long--I'm pretty sure this is the longest I've gone without posting something ahah
> 
> anyway, I realised I've never written a soulmate fic, and I'm not sure if this kind has been done before? (For klance that is) (correct me if i'm wrong though!)
> 
> I hope you guys enjoy this little fic, and I'll be posting again later this week! xx

“Watch out, your lord and saviour's coming through!”

Keith just barely managed to step out of the way when a blur of brown and green shot past him, another boy hot on his tail as they barrelled down the halls like their asses were on fire. Keith brushed off some invisible dust from his shoulders, barely holding back on rolling his eyes.

“I really don't get loud people,” he muttered.

“Well they probably don't get quiet and brooding people, either,” Shiro supplied, albeit unhelpfully.

“Whatever,” Keith said, checking the time on his wristwatch. It was nearing his intro to philosophy class, so he waved goodbye to Shiro as he rounded the corner at the end of the hall.

He saw that boy again, his voice bouncing off the walls with confidence, making eyes at a group of girls who giggled amongst themselves. The boy's friend was trying to drag the skinny one away, muttering something about being late.

Keith watched him throw the girls some finger-guns before retreating, and he almost found himself snorting at how lame it was.

His wrist itched at it's place inside his coat pocket, and he frowned, glancing down as if to suddenly check it through the fabric. He shook the feeling away, stepping inside his lecture hall and putting thoughts like 'soulmates' in the very back of his mind.

 

*

 

“Shiro, how in the _hell_ did you get through your first year of college?”

He was on his third cup of coffee that afternoon, his body hidden behind stacks of books at their campus's library. A small chuckle was heard somewhere in front of Keith, this sympathetic sound that irked Keith more than it normally would if he wasn't running on 3 hours of sleep.

“Pain and suffering, Keith. I was the goddamn _king_ ,” Shiro answered, as if that was supposed to help him get through the night.

“Okay, so, do the _opposite_ of what you did, then?” Keith mumbled, rubbing at his neck. His eyes briefly caught sight of the soulmark etched into the underside of his wrist, the numbers as clear as ever.

He shoved his hand down, hard, hiding the ink as he downed the rest of the coffee in it's styrofoam cup.

“You alright?” Shiro asked, a touch of a laugh lingering in the words.

“Fine,” Keith spat, sighing lowly before ultimately giving up and leaning back in his chair. He debated his next question in his head, turning the words over as if to feel them out, until his own curiosity got the better of him.

“Hey, Shiro?”

A few seconds passed until he heard a, “Hmm?” in acknowledgement.

“Have you ever met...” Keith cleared his throat, shifting. “Met someone who had a soulmark that wasn't necessarily... by the norm?”

Keith took Shiro's silence as him thinking it over. Keith fiddled with his pen, drawing his soulmark in his open book absentmindedly.

“I can't say I have,” Shiro finally answered, and Keith could practically _hear_ the shrug in his shoulders. “I wouldn't worry, though. You'll meet them soon, Keith.”

“Sure,” Keith offered, “Coming from the guy who met his when he was _fifteen_.”

“I suppose I just got out more.”

Keith groaned internally, letting his gaze drift around the mostly empty library in thought. He thought about how most people never find their soulmates, and it was even more rare for someone to have a mark other than your soulmate's first words ever spoken to you. He glanced down to his mark again slowly, briefly wishing he had never been born with the four numbers scrolled across his skin.

 

*

 

Keith saw that same obnoxious boy again one cloudy day, making a scene in one of the courtyards on campus.

His same friend from before was with him, as well as a much shorter girl wearing glasses almost the size of her face. But the boy who Keith suddenly seemed to be seeing more and more lately had several juggling balls in hand, drawing in a small crowd as he vowed to amaze and impress.

Keith felt himself stopping, too, ignoring the reminder in his head that class was starting soon. But he felt inclined to stay for a moment, watching the boy start his performance and actually doing a pretty decent job at keeping all of the balls in the air.

He felt his soulmark itch again, and he allowed himself to rub at it underneath the gloves he was wearing to fight off the evening chill. He saw the boy break his streak, balls cascading around him, but his charming smile never left his face, and Keith idly wondered what it would be like to be on the receiving end of that kind of attention.

A text—presumably from Shiro—jostled him out of his stance, so he snapped his gaze away and continued on down the path to his next class.

 

*

 

“Shiro, what normally happens if you decide to ignore your soulmark and just want to date someone else instead?”

Shiro brought the beer that was at his lips down, a curious frown appearing. “I don't know if I'm the best person to be asking that.”

Keith batted his eyelashes. “But you're the most put-together person I know.”

“Please,” Shiro scoffed, his soft eyes glancing over to Allura currently chatting with Shay at the bar. “I know I was lucky to find my soulmate so young, but... I'm sure when I grew older I probably would have dated anyway, if I hadn't found her. Just because some birthmark says you're meant to be with this person, doesn't mean it will always work out. You have to work hard for the good stuff, you know?”

Keith played with the straw in his coke, the small cubes of ice clinking at the sides. Shiro had a point (he usually did) and Keith was happy to find it helped him with his minor situation considerably. He saw that boy flash in his mind again, that bright, intoxicating smile, and then Shiro was suddenly looking at him with a proud expression.

“Is there someone you like, Keith? Hmm?”

His tone was teasing, and Keith realised he had begun to smile too from the memory. He picked up a chip from the table and threw it at Shiro, trying to deflect the teasing he would undoubtedly receive if the conversation continued as such.

“No,” he tried to come off as convincing, but Shiro had always been good at reading him.

“Sure, I believe you.”

 

*

 

Keith saw his somewhat low-key crush again on a Saturday, completely on accident.

He was running low on caffeine, in desperate need of a coffee boost pronto and ducked into the first cafe he saw on the way to Allura's apartment.

It was their newly traditional movie night that occurred at the end of every month, and Keith would kick himself if he dozed off through the new Star Wars film they'd rented, not to mention Allura would no doubt draw weird things on his face while asleep.

When he stepped inside the relatively quiet shop, Keith was surprised to see Shiro in line at the counter as well, his phone held up to his ear.

Keith walked over to him, ready to say his greeting, when he caught eye of the boy he'd been seeing everywhere behind the register, apron on and a tired smile plastered across his face.

“Welcome to Cafe Altea, what can I get for you?”

Keith savoured the boy's voice; even in his drowsy state it still sounded like something stupidly poetic Keith would rather not delve into right now.

“Can I get one cappuccino...and a white chocolate mocha latte, please,” Shiro said cheerily after he put his phone to his chest.

“Allura send you on a coffee run?”

Shiro jumped slightly, turning to see Keith giving him a knowing smirk. Keith couldn't help but notice the many bags under his friend's eyes, and Keith felt a pang of sympathy when he remembered Shiro's mid-terms were coming up.

“Hey Keith,” Shiro laughed, pointing towards the counter in question, “Want anything?”

Keith was about to make an excuse to pay for his drink himself so he'd have a reason to talk to Pretty Boy, but on the off chance Shiro figured out _he_ was the one Keith was mildly interested in, Keith wanted to avoid Shiro holding that information over his head for as long as possible.

“Just a latte for me, thanks man,” Keith said instead.

Shiro grinned and added the order before bringing his phone up again, Pretty Boy behind the counter nodding begrudgingly in reply.

Keith tried to not let his gaze wonder over to him while they waited for their drinks, instead asking Shiro if they should pick up some snacks along the way for the movie. Keith let Shiro walk up and collect the beverages when they were called out, not quite ready to face his crush just yet, and they left the cafe with the ringing of the door echoing behind them.

Keith made himself promise to pluck up the courage to go back there again and talk to him, ignoring the incessant sting suddenly emitting from his wrist as they walked to Allura's apartment.

 

*

 

It's sort of a surprise when you learn that the boy you've been crushing on actually has a class with you. But then again, it was a big university with high numbered classes, so there were always bound to be instances where paths were crossed and you'd never know it.

Keith hadn't really been paying much attention to the lecture, too busy scribbling his soulmark over and over on a loose piece of paper.

He was going through days where he wouldn't think about the mark at all, and other days where it would be the only thing on his mind. Today happened to be the latter, those four numbers a stark contrast against his pale skin.

For so long Keith wondered what they could mean. Were they a time? Were they a date? It was something that used to keep him up well into the night, a mixture of curiosity and anger always swelling up whenever he'd looked at them.

But now he only felt laboured acceptance, deciding that from now on, he'd be making his own choices and not let a tattoo on his wrist fate him to the person he was suppose to 'be with' for the rest of his life.

“Oh my _god_ ,” a giggling voice breathed a few rows down.

Keith looked up, anxious joy igniting when he recognised that familiar tone.

He scanned the area swiftly, until his eyes settled on top of a familiar mop of brown hair, his head close to his other friend as they tried to secretly finish watching a video on his phone. The Professor shot them both a pointed look which promptly led them to shoving the phone away apologetically.

Keith continued looking, almost verging on creeper mode, but he couldn't deny the pull he felt towards the other boy, committing to memory the crooked slant of his nose, the scattering of freckles on his cheeks, the smooth skin of his exposed back.

He felt nervousness spark inside him, swallowing his nerves and making himself promise to talk to him when class ended, that today would be the day.

Scratching at his soulmark subconsciously, he counted down the minutes until class was let out, and when the Professor called out their assignment for the week Keith paid no attention, eyes never leaving the other boy as he collected up his belongings.

Keith made his way down the steps, almost tripping twice, but then his eyes caught sight of a book left behind by the other boy. He paused for a moment, finally deciding it was the perfect strategy to strike up a conversation. He picked up the book with slightly trembling hands, seeing the name 'Lance' inscribed at the top, and turned back down the steps towards the door.

“Hey, you found my friends book, thanks man,” a deeper voice said.

Keith looked up and saw it was Lance's friend, an infectious smile aimed towards Keith as his presence drew everyone in.

“U-uh, yeah, I was going to find him and give it to him,” Keith managed, biting the inside of his cheek.

“Well I can do that, thanks again for grabbing it. I'm Hunk, you?”

Keith pushed down the disappointment on not being able to give it to Lance himself, instead he handed the book over and said, “Keith. And no worries.”

Hunk took the book and gave him another smile before heading back the way he came. Keith couldn't see Lance anywhere, so perhaps he had to run off to another class somewhere else.

Keith sighed deeply, figuring there was always tomorrow.

 

*

 

“Hey man, yeah I'm a few blocks away,” Keith spoke into his phone, momentarily distracted by a small dog yapping at his feet.

“ _We won't start without you,”_ Shiro promised through the speaker, some light shuffling from his end, followed by an indignant yelp, and then Allura's sultry voice was wafting into Keith's ear.

“ _Keith, my darling.”_

Keith sighed, but smiled regardless. “What do you want?”

“ _Can you swing by the cafe near my place? I'm dying for a skinny peppermint latte, and one of their blueberry croissants.”_

He could practically _see_ the pleading look she was undoubtedly giving him.

“Sure, but you'll owe me,” he warned, seeing the cafe coming up ahead.

“ _Thank you, Keith. And don't tell Shiro, but you're my favourite.”_

Keith thinks he heard a small _'Hey'_  of protest in the background, so he said his goodbyes and hung up before more could be added to his order.

He stepped inside the busy shop, the hustle and bustle setting him slightly on edge and he mentally cursed Allura for not being able to resist her wickedly enticing accent. The line moved at a pace quick enough for Keith to not grow impatient, and soon he was at the counter, order already replayed several times in his head.

“Hi,” he said, recognising the girl to be the other friend he's seen Lance with. Her apron was almost the same size as her height, and she had some coffee grinds smudged on her cheek. “Can I get an espresso, one peppermint latte and a blueberry croissant, please.”

She nodded, running it through the till while Keith rummaged through his bag to find his wallet. Not hearing the girl throw him a quick, “Excuse me,” he didn't notice another figure come over to take her place.

“So how much do I owe you?” Keith asked, hand finally clasping around his wallet.

“10.17,” the cashier answered.

Keith frowned, finally looking up to see Lance now standing there instead. He froze, swallowing around a dry throat as he tried to fumble for the right amount of change. Only then as he did, his eyes landed on his soulmark, mouth falling open in shock.

_No, no way is it him..._

He looked back up and saw Lance was growing mildly impatient, and so Keith blurted out the only thing he could think of. “Sorry, h-how much?”

“10.17,” Lance said again, eyes narrowing to mirror Keith's confusion.

Keith's eyes moved between Lance and his soulmark, not believing it. Finally he let his eyes stay locked on Lance's, and he saw the slow realisation dawn in Lance's expression, mouth agape and eyes like saucers. He then glanced down to Keith's wrist, a nervous twitch in his arm, and Keith was at a loss for words.

“Are... are you...” Lance breathed, taking a disbelieving step back as his eyes darted around for something. “Pidge, can you—can you cover me for a second?” Lance's face was growing pale, and he sent Keith an apologetic look. “Uh sorry, I have to go, out the back, right now.”

And then he was gone, leaving Keith embarrassed and alone.

Keith heard someone behind him tell him to hurry up, but the only thing that was running through his head was _Your soulmate rejected you. Your soulmate is Lance. Lance didn't want you._

Well, shit.

 

*

 

“He did _what?_ ”

Blueberry croissant momentarily forgotten, Allura took to pacing back and forth in the lounge room, hands thrown up in the air to accentuate her annoyance.

“I mean, the cafe _was_ busy, it probably just caught him off guard,” Keith said, only half-believing himself.

“Still,” Allura huffed, “Does he think you're not good enough? Because that's crazy if you ask me. Do you want me to go down there and straighten things out?” She asked, cracking several knuckles in preparation.

“No, _no_ ,” Keith told her, frowning.

“I'm sure he just needs some time,” Shiro offered his two cents, taking a seat on the couch and taking a sip of his coffee.

“Keith, it'll be okay,” Allura smiled kindly at him in reassurance.

Keith gave her a small smile back, but he couldn't help but let the possibility of rejection cloud his mind.

 

*

 

The next day, Keith walked into the one class he had with Lance and immediately noticed Lance's friend Hunk was there, but there was no Lance.

Keith tried not to worry, pointedly ignoring the quick glances Hunk was giving him before Keith took his usual seat somewhere in the middle. The class passed by at an agonisingly slow pace, and Keith leaped from his seat immediately after the Professor dismissed them, wanting to get away from there as soon as possible.

He slinked back to his dorm that afternoon, eager to just hide away under his covers and forget all of the troubles that awaited him on the other side of the door. When the evening rolled around he was more than happy to go to bed early, not even tired but just wanting to shut his brain down.

After tossing and turning for almost an hour, he started to let his mind wonder, much to the pain his heart was currently screaming at him. What were the odds that the guy he'd been crushing on was also his goddamn _soulmate_.

Of course, life really was that cruel.

Later, finally on the brink of sleep, he was startled awake by a loud rattle at his door. He stared at it, debating, ultimately deciding to pretend he wasn't here. Only then—

“Keith?”

Keith froze, heart seizing as it responded to that familiar voice.

“Keith Kogane? I-I've been asking around to try and find you, uh... it's, it's Lance, um, from the cafe.”

Keith held his breath, wanting his bed to swallow him up.

“I... I can feel you in there. Please talk to me. I want to explain myself, _please_.”

A few moments passed, and Keith couldn't ignore the pull he felt towards the other boy any more, wanting to give his heart a rest, so he gingerly stepped to the ground and walked, shaking hands gripping the knob and opening the door with apprehension.

Lance was giving him a cautious smile, clearly just as nervous as Keith.

“Hey,” he breathed.

Keith bit his lip, wrist itching like crazy. “Hey.”

“Can I...” Lance looked to his left then back at Keith. “Can I come in?”

Keith nodded, opening the door wider to let Lance inside. When he was close, Keith couldn't help but feel more at ease, heart rate returning to normal, like a breath of fresh air.

“So,” Lance started once Keith had closed the door, leaving them to the quiet of the night. “We're soulmates, then.”

“Yeah,” Keith gave a half-laugh, Lance's words sounding foreign even when Keith had wanted to hear nothing but that for days.

“I'm sorry,” Lance started, and Keith was about to irrationally panic that Lance was rejecting him, but then: “I was a dick. I shouldn't have done that to you, it must have hurt. But I want to explain myself right, if... if you'll let me.”

Keith already wanted to give Lance the whole world, which was ridiculous. Instead he said, “Sure.”

“Okay,” Lance sat down on Keith's bed, hands bunched in the sheets. Keith couldn't help but notice how perfectly Lance already fit in here. “So, my parents are soulmates. They met when they were in their late twenties, and they've been happily married ever since,” he glanced up at Keith as if to make sure he was still there. “So I'd always been dreaming of the day I'd meet mine, y'know? Even though it's rare, I always had hope, wanting a love like my parents had. I took the job at that cafe because, where else would you ever really hear these words?” He held up his right hand displaying Keith's first words with a small scoff.

“The Gods didn't make it easy for me, but, as soon as I saw you looking down at yours, something inside me just knew. People have been known to have similar soulmarks, but when you meet your soulmate, you can still feel that pull, yeah?”

Keith nodded slowly, not really knowing where he stood yet. Lance didn't seem to be freaking out as much, so that was something, he thought.

“But when I saw you, I... I did freak out a little, because you... are a guy,” Lance said the words carefully, as if testing what they sounded like. “And I'd only just, sort of, started to realise I liked men as well. So, it came as only a _bit_ of a shock when it turned out my soulmate _was_ one,” Lance looked at Keith, an apologetic smile appearing. “I'm sorry, again, that I responded to you like a startled animal. I called my parents last night and talked to them for hours, and I finally decided that...”

Keith felt his heart speed up, worry crawling up his throat, stomach twisting.

“I... I want to give this a go. I don't want to ignore the universe putting us together. Because there must be a good reason, right?” His eyes landed on Keith's, wide and questioning. “What... what do you think?”

Keith felt every bone in his body relax, something akin to tentative joy bursting in his chest. “Yeah, I'd like that,” he smiled, debating for a second before getting up, offering a shy hand to Lance. “Uh, I guess we haven't properly met. I'm Keith Kogane.”

Lance laughed, and Keith already loved the way it sent a shiver up his spine. He took Keith's hand, the one with his mark, fitting together like two pieces of a puzzle, and stood up to level himself with Keith. “Lance Álvarez.”

 

*

 

“Ugh, you two are grossly cute,” Pidge groaned from her place on the recliner, shoving popcorn into her mouth a moment after.

“To think how freaked out Lance was in the beginning, it's hilarious,” Hunk chimed in, his laugh drifting into the lounge room from the kitchen.

“Shut up,” Lance barked back in defence, but it was muffled from his face currently being buried in Keith's neck, and he kissed the skin tenderly which earned him a shiver from Keith. “That was months ago—I was practically a _baby_ at the whole soulmate slash dating thing.” He turned his head to waggle his eyebrows at Keith. “But Keithy here had already been making heart-eyes at me, how cute.”

“Ugh,” Keith closed his eyes, constantly regretting ever telling Shiro he had the hots for Lance before they even got together.

“Don't worry babe, I think it's sweet,” Lance grinned, kissing him full on the mouth.

Keith couldn't help but melt into it, carding a hand through Lance's hair to pull him in deeper, savouring the slight tingle he felt on his lips whenever Lance kissed him. They broke apart when a pillow was thrown at them, the both of them glaring up at a smirking Allura.

“Move it you two, we all have to fit on this couch somehow,” she instructed.

Keith rolled his eyes but sat up, pulling Lance with him until he was almost completely sitting in his lap.

“This okay?” He whispered in Lance's ear.

“Best seat in the house,” Lance answered, his fingers linking through Keith's hand resting over Lance's stomach.

“Seriously, sickeningly cute,” Pidge made a barfing noise, to which Lance picked up the pillow Allura hit them with and threw it in Pidge's direction.

“Hey,” Lance tapped Keith's hand to get his attention, which was hardly necessary given that Keith was always focused on Lance. “I was wondering... the holidays are coming up, and, well... would you... want to fly down with me to meet my family?”

Keith felt his eyes widen, and he tried to hide how much he was blushing by burying his face in Lance's hair. “Um, yeah. Yes, I would like that very much.”

Lance laughed happily, the vibrations making Keith squeeze him tighter. He breathed in deep, overwhelmed with the familiar smell of Lance's shampoo, soaking in the feeling of Lance pressed against him, warm and heavy, grounding Keith in the most amazing way.

Their marks brushed together for a brief moment, and Keith grinned.

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading!  
> [/tumblr](http://edsbrak.tumblr.com/) x


End file.
